John Munoz, 19, says he was walking to his friend's home in the rural North Dakota town of Warsaw in the dark early Sunday morning when he heard dog barks that were apparently drawing nearer.

"There was about eight or nine of them, and the only one I could identify was a Rottweiler. Once they ripped my duffle bag from my hands, I knew I was going to be attacked," Munoz told Forum Communications. "Before I knew it, they got me to the ground and were playing tug-of-war with me. I thought I was going to die."

Munoz said he was eventually able to struggle his way to the side of the road, where he grabbed a handful of weeds he used to temporarily fend the dogs off. But "the dogs continued to attack me until I got to [his girlfriend's father's farm], which was about 30 or 45 minutes later."

When the hellish ordeal was finally through, Munoz was taken to the hospital. His treatment included some stitches in the back of his head, and he was released later that day. To see photos of his injuries, click here or here.

"They had bitten me so bad that I've had difficulty lifting my arms," Munoz told Forum. "The only thing keeping me going right now is the medication."

Munoz said he heard from a friend that the owner of the dogs that attacked him often leaves them unrestrained. He made no bones about his plans for a civil lawsuit.

"This caused me so much physical and emotional pain, and I am lucky to be alive, but I want to get a lot of this [lawsuit]," Munoz told Forum. "I'm glad this happened to me and I lived so I can do something so this never has to happen to anyone else. This can be a way to spread awareness."

No criminal charges have yet been filed in connection with the incident. (UPDATE -- the owner of the dogs has been arrested.)

-- Follow Aaron Rupar on Twitter at @atrupar. Got a tip? Drop him a line at arupar@citypages.com.